Computer system with distributed data storing

1. A data processing system (10) comprising a plurality of distributed data storage units (D1-D3, FD6, TL4, STOe) and at least one data storage server (S1-S3) connected to a network for storing data, a plurality of distributed management units (DSM1-DSM6) connected to one another to form a memory for local data storage and having memory space addressable by a protocol comprising input-output read-write instructions sent by a data storage server (S1-S3), wherein at least some of said distributed data storage units (D1-D3, FD6, TL4, STOe) are operatively associated with said data storage server (S1-S3) via one respective distributed management units (DSM1-DSM6), and an allocation unit arranged to allocate to each of said data storage servers (S1-S3) a virtual memory space (D'xyz) whose extent is at least equal to the accumulated capacity of at least some of said distributed data storage units (D1-D3, FD6, TL4, STOe).

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said means for allocating are constituted by a series of first data processing means having internally stored distributed management program units (DSM.sub.1 -DSM.sub.6), each said program units adapted for managing some of said data storage units (D.sub.1 -D.sub.3, FD.sub.6, TL.sub.4, STO.sub.e).

3. The system according to claim 1, further comprising second data processing means in the form of centralized management units (NSM) associated with a data base (CDB) of data, said data base (CDB) describing at least the configuration of said data storage units (D.sub.1 -D.sub.3, FD.sub.6, TL.sub.4, STO.sub.e), said centralized management units (NSM) including means for developing and downloading programs from said data into said distributed management program units (DSM.sub.1 -DSM.sub.6), in such a way that the distributed management program units, when associated with the data storage server (S.sub.1 -S.sub.3), allocate to said storage server (S.sub.1 -S.sub.3), under the control of a downloaded program, said virtual memory space (D'.sub.xyz).

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein said local data storage units are adapted to form a first partition of said virtual memory space (D'xyz), and further including an external memory for data storage units external to said data storage server and forming at least one second partition of said virtual memory space (D'xyz).

5. The system according to claim 4, further comprising a high-speed bus (B) having connected thereto a multitude of input-output ports for allowing transmission of said protocol comprising input-output instructions of the read-write type, said distributed management program units (DSM.sub.1 -DSM.sub.6) and said centralized management units (NSM) being connected to one another through said high-speed bus (B), and said input-output instructions sent by said data storage server (S.sub.1 -S.sub.3) being routed by said distributed management program units (DSM.sub.1 -DSM.sub.6), under the control of said downloaded programs, to said local data storage means forming said first partition of the virtual memory space (D'.sub.xyz) or, via said high-speed bus (B), to said distributed management units (DSM.sub.1 -DSM.sub.6) operatively connected to said external data storage units forming at least one of said second partitions of the virtual memory space (D'.sub.xyz), depending on whether said instructions relate to one of said partitions or the other, in order to render accessible all of said virtual memory space (D'.sub.xyz) allocated to said data storage server (S.sub.1 -S.sub.3).

6. The system according to claim 5, characterized in that said high-speed bus (B) is a single-mode optical fiber, and in that said ports comprise a multitude of switches for creating direct transmission channels from each of the connected management program means to all of the switches.

7. The system according to claim 6, characterized in that said data storage means are selected from the group comprising magnetic disk units (D.sub.1 -D.sub.3, FD.sub.6), magnetic tape units, magnetic cartridge units (TL.sub.4), and optical disks.

8. The system according to claims 7, characterized in that at least one (STO.sub.e) of said distributed data storage units is located at a remote site, in that the transmissions between said high-speed remote site and said data processing system (10) take place through high-speed links (1.sub.ATM) in an asynchronous mode, and in that said links (1.sub.ATM) are connected to one of said distributed management units (DSM.sub.5), said distributed management means being connected to said bus (B).

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the system is configured so that said programs developed by said centralized management units (NSM) are transmitted through said bus (B) to be selectively downloaded into said distributed management program units (DSM.sub.1 -DSM.sub.6), said programs being written in a predetermined language which renders said programs automatically executable upon said downloading, and in that said centralized management units (NSM) dynamically manages said downloading as a function of parameters that change over time and operations executed by said data processing system.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein said downloaded programs comprise programs for managing the virtual memory space (D'.sub.xyz) allocated to each data storage server (S.sub.1 -S.sub.3).

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein said distributed data storage units (D.sub.1 -D.sub.3, FD.sub.6, TL.sub.4, STO.sub.e) is heterogeneous in nature and operates according to different modes and/or protocols, said downloaded programs comprise mode and/or protocol translation programs, so that each storage server (S.sub.1 -S.sub.3) accesses said virtual memory space (D'.sub.xyz) allocated to it, using protocols of the storage servers.

12. The system according to claim 9, wherein said downloaded programs comprise programs for automatically archiving data, according to a predetermined hierarchy, in the distributed data storage units (D.sub.1 -D.sub.3, FD.sub.6, TL.sub.4, STO.sub.e).

13. The system according to claim 9, characterized in that said downloaded programs comprise programs for backing up data by storing the programs according to a predetermined redundant schema.

14. The system according to claim 9, wherein at least one (STO.sub.e) of said distributed data storage units is located at a remote site, and the transmissions between said remote site and said data processing system take place through high-speed links (1.sub.ATM), in an asynchronous mode, said downloaded programs including data transmission protocol translation programs, said translation programs being downloaded into distributed management units (DSM.sub.5) forming an interface between said high-speed bus (B) and said high speed links (1.sub.ATM) in the asynchronous mode.

15. The system according to claim 13 characterized in that at least some of said distributed management units (DSM.sub.1 -DSM.sub.6) are an integral part of the data storage server (S.sub.1 -S.sub.3) or of said distributed data storage units (D.sub.1 -D.sub.3, FD.sub.6, TL.sub.4, STO.sub.e), with which they are associated so as to form a logical unit of the distributed data storage means.

16. The system according to claim 15 comprising additional data processing units (ST.sub.1 -ST.sub.3), a local area network (LAN) and connecting means for connecting said data processing system (10) to an external data transmission network (I.sub.T), and said additional data processing units (ST.sub.1 -ST.sub.3), said connecting means for connecting said system (10) and said data storage servers (S.sub.1 -S.sub.3) are connected to said local area network (LAN).

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein said bus (B) and said local area network (LAN) are combined into a single data transmission network (B), said additional units (ST.sub.1 -ST.sub.3) being connected to said high-speed bus (B) and communicating with one another according to a communications protocol via said high-speed bus (B).

18. A data processing system (10) comprising a plurality of distributed data storage units (D1-D3, FD6, TL4, STOe) and at least one data storage server (S1-S3) connected to a network for storing data, an allocation unit arranged to allocate to each of said data storage servers (S1-S3) a virtual memory space (D'xyz) whose extent is at least equal to the accumulated capacity of at least some of said distributed data storage units (D1-D3, FD6, TL4, STOe), data processing centralized management units (NSM) connected to one another and associated with a data base (CDB) of data describing at least the configuration of said distributed data storage units (D1-D3, FD6, TL4, STOe), said data processing centralized management (NSM) including a unit for developing and downloading programs from said data into distributed management program units (DSM1-DSM6), such that the distributed management program units, when associated with a data storage server (S1-S3), allocate to said storage server (S1-S3), under the control of a downloaded program, said virtual memory space (D'xyz).

19. The system according to claim 18, characterized in that at least some of said data storage units (D.sub.1 -D.sub.3, FD.sub.6, TL.sub.4, STO.sub.e) are connected to said data storage server (S.sub.1 -S.sub.3), via one of said distributed management program units (DSM.sub.1 -DSM.sub.6), so as to form local data storage means having memory space addressable by a protocol comprising read-write input-output instructions sent by said data storage server (S.sub.1 -S.sub.3), said local data storage means being adapted to form a first partition of said virtual memory space (D'.sub.xyz), and further including data storage means external to said data storage server being able to form at least one second partition of said virtual memory space (D'.sub.xyz).

20. The system according to claim 19, characterized in that a high-speed bus (B) of the type comprising a multitude of input-output ports for allowing the transmission of said protocol comprising read-write input-output instructions, said distributed management program units (DSM.sub.1 -DSM.sub.6) and said centralized management units (NSM) being connected to one another through said high-speed bus (B), and said input-output instructions sent by said data storage server (S.sub.1 -S.sub.3) being routed by said distributed management program units (DSM.sub.1 -DSM.sub.6), under the control of said downloaded programs, to said local data storage means forming said first partition of the virtual memory space (D'.sub.xyz) or, via said high-speed bus (B), to distributed management program units (DSM.sub.1 -DSM.sub.6) operatively connected to said external data storage means forming at least one of said second additional partitions of the virtual memory space (D'.sub.xyz), depending on whether said instructions relate to one of said partitions or the other, in order to render accessible all of said virtual memory space (D'.sub.xyz) allocated to said data storage server (S.sub.1 -S.sub.3).

21. The system according to claim 20, wherein said high-speed bus (B) is a single-mode optical fiber transmission medium, and said ports comprise a multitude of switches to create direct transmission channels from each of the connected management program means to all of the other management program means.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein said data storage means are selected from the group comprising magnetic disk units (D.sub.1 -D.sub.3, FD.sub.6), magnetic tape, magnetic cartridge units (TL.sub.4), or optical disks.

23. The system according to claim 22, characterized in that at least one (STO.sub.e) of said distributed data storage units is located at a remote site, in that the transmissions between said new site and said data processing system (10) take place through high-speed links (1.sub.ATM) in the asynchronous mode, and in that said links (1.sub.ATM) are connected to one of said distributed management units (DSM.sub.5), said distributed management means being connected to said high-speed bus (B).

24. The system according to claim 23, wherein the system is configured so that said programs developed by said centralized management units (NSM) are transmitted through said high-speed bus (B) to be selectively downloaded into said distributed management program units (DSM.sub.1 -DSM.sub.6), said programs being written in a predetermined language which renders said programs automatically executable upon said downloading, and in that said centralized management units (NSM) dynamically manages said downloading as a function of parameters that change over time and operations executed by said data processing system.

25. The system according to claim 24, wherein said downloaded programs comprise programs for managing the virtual memory space (D'.sub.xyz) allocated to each data storage server (S.sub.1 -S.sub.3).

26. The system according to claim 24, wherein said distributed data storage units (D.sub.1 -D.sub.3, FD.sub.6, TL.sub.4, STO.sub.e) is heterogeneous in nature and operates according to different modes and/or protocols, said downloaded programs comprise mode and/or protocol translation programs, so that each storage server (S.sub.1 -S.sub.3) accesses said virtual memory space (D'.sub.xyz) allocated to it, using protocols of the storage servers.

27. The system according to claim 24, wherein said downloaded programs comprise programs for automatically archiving data, according to a predetermined hierarchy, in the distributed data storage units (D.sub.1 -D.sub.3, FD.sub.6, TL.sub.4, STO.sub.e).

28. The system according to claim 24, characterized in that said downloaded programs comprise programs for backing up data by storing the programs according to a predetermined redundant schema.

29. The system according to claim 24, wherein at least one (STO.sub.e) of said distributed data storage units is located at a remote site, and the transmissions between said remote site and said data processing system take place through high-speed links (1.sub.ATM), in an asynchronous mode, said downloaded programs including data transmission protocol translation programs, said translation programs being downloaded into distributed management units (DSM.sub.5) forming an interface between said high-speed bus (B) and said high speed links (1.sub.ATM) in the asynchronous mode.

30. The system according to claim 28 characterized in that at least some of said distributed management units (DSM.sub.1 -DSM.sub.6) are an integral part of the data storage server (S.sub.1 -S.sub.3) or of said distributed data storage units (D.sub.1 -D.sub.3, FD.sub.6, TL.sub.4, STO.sub.e), with which they are associated so as to form a logical unit of the distributed data storage means.

31. The system according to claim 30 comprising additional data processing units (ST.sub.1 -ST.sub.3), a local area network (LAN) and connecting means for connecting said data processing system (10) to an external data transmission network (I.sub.T), and said additional data processing units (ST.sub.1 -ST.sub.3), said connecting means for connecting said system (10) and said data storage servers (S.sub.1 -S.sub.3) are connected to said local area network (LAN).

32. The system according to claim 31, wherein said high-speed bus (B) and said local area network (LAN) are combined into a single data transmission network (B), said additional units (ST.sub.1 -ST.sub.3) being connected to said high-speed bus (B) and communicating with one another according to a communications protocol via said high-speed bus (B).